Haunted
by Omniscient-Striker
Summary: After being caught in countless match-making attempts courtesy of Mirajane, Lucy wonders why the barmaid flat-out rejects all the guys who try to court her. Miraxus, and hints of other pairings; emphasis on Jerza, and some NaLu/GaLe in the future.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is the first story I decided to publish. I have yet to go through with the grammar and spell-checks, but I will when I find time to do so. It's a one-shot but I may write a sequel depending on the feedback, so try to leave a review. Oh, and if you find mistakes within the story, do feel free to point in out to me. :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, the lovely manga belongs to Hiro Mashima.**

* * *

><p>An exasperated sigh was heard amongst the loud chattering that filled the Fairy Tail guild's hall. The blonde-haired Celestial Spirit mage sat on one of the bar stools, with her left hand supporting her head.<p>

Beside her comrade, who was chugging her very own liquor-filled barrel.

"What's wrong, Lucy?" asked the lovely Mirajane from behind the bar while wiping an empty beer glass.

"Aww Mira, why do you always do that?" groaned the blonde mage in response.

The former S-class mage just smiled innocently, "I don't know what you mean."

"_That thing earlier,"_ frowned Lucy, before taking a sip at her drink.

"What are you two talking about?" asked Cana, who was chugging off her beer barrel not too long ago.

"Cana, take it easy on your _boyfriend_," calmly stated Mira, obviously referring to Cana's drinks. "Make sure you leave some for the others."

The Card mage frowned, and quickly stated a quick 'I cannot live without my liquor' before continuing to down all the contents of the barrel in one go.

"Wow, Cana sure is on the roll," stated Lucy, staring at her former partner. She suddenly didn't feel like consuming what's left of her drink.

"Of course! I need to make up for the seven years that I wasn't able to drink!" Mira and Lucy just chuckled at Cana in response.

"That aside, what were you two talking about earlier?"

"Oh, that," Lucy rolled her eyes and explained how Mirajane tried to get her and Natsu together by locking the two of them in a room, with the help of Freed's runes, and how she lost half of her life because Natsu was trying to burn the door, which resulted to more destruction.

"We were there for over three hours!" exclaimed the blonde mage, turning her head to the smiling barmaid. "Really, out of all your attempts, this one takes the cake!" Lucy stated, her face turned as red as a tomato.

Mira grinned at the Celestial spirit mage, "You wouldn't have had to stay in there for too long if you immediately obeyed what the runes stated. In the end, you kissed him either way and got out, right?"

"Say what?" exclaimed Cana, who almost spilled the contents of her new barrel. She grinned and nudged Lucy with her elbow. "So the little girl has finally started to grow up," Cana stated, giving Lucy a couple of pats on the back, "I am proud of you, partner!" she exclaimed before throwing a laughing fit with Mira.

Lucy sank in her seat and hid her face behind her arms. "Ugh, why does it have to be me?"

"Nice work, Mira! That makes it two! So after Levy and Gajeel comes Lucy and Natsu. You're doing quite a great job at this," stated the brunette in between her chuckles. The barmaid just winked in return, and went on with pouring drinks.  
>"That makes me wonder, though…" stated Lucy, "Mira always tries to get people together, but she isn't in a relationship herself... or is she?"<p>

Lucy's question left Cana a bit speechless, and both of them glanced at the barmaid, who was busy fending off old man Wakaba's advances with her clever retorts.

"I mean look, she just turns down all the guys that ask her out. It seems Freed has also developed feelings for her but she turned him down as well. She told me yesterday that she isn't seeing anyone. I understand her reasons for rejecting Wakaba but Freed is actually a pretty decent guy... just a bit obsessive though, when it comes to Laxus."

Cana momentarily stopped drinking, and chuckled at Lucy's words. "She has her reasons. Although I think it is best that she tells you about it herself."

The brunette signaled for Mirajane to come over, to which, the latter complied to.

"Mira, you have time right now?"

The white-haired beauty quirked her eyebrows in wonder, but nodded in response anyway.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Lucy has been wondering about your past love-life. I thought it would be best if you told her in your own words."

"Oh, I see," the former S-Class mage responded, her face contorted to that of an enigmatic, yet longing look. She smiled sadly and replied, "It isn't really anything; nothing that passes for a novel."

Cana snorted at her statement, and Mira in turn, decided to nudge the brunette with her elbow.

"Uhm, with the way you are like right now, Mira, that is pretty hard to believe," stated Lucy with a look of wonder in her face.

"Pff, yeah," snorted Cana, "Girl, the look on your face says it all."

Mira's eyes switched between the two, "Is it really that obvious?" she asked, earning a nod from both. She gave out a long sigh, and leant on the bar.

"It was about… a year after Lisanna died," Mirajane started, instantly earning the attention of both Cana and Lucy. "We were in a very complicated situation a year after she died…"

"Mira, I think it would be better if you told Lucy who the guy is, before continuing," the heaviest drinker stated, before turning her head back to her beer barrel.

Mirajane nodded and sighed, "It's Laxus."

"WHOOOOO?" yelled Lucy, standing up and earning the attention of the other people in the guild. She noticed the looks being given to her, and she instantly felt her legs go jelly. She sat back down scratching the back of her head and telling everyone else that it was nothing. The guild immediately went back onto their separate businesses.

Lucy scooted closer to Mira and whispered, "YOU, AND LAXUS? Are you kidding me, Mira?"

"I wish I was," replied the take-over mage, smiling.

Lucy couldn't believe it, "Ehh?" was the only reply she could give, coupled by a look of utter disbelief.

"Wait, are you two still…you know..? Hold on, wait, uhm, that can't be possible, right? Since he was such a – sorry for the term – bastard not too long ago… well, uhm, I guess it has been over seven years now."

Mira smiled sadly and looked away, over to the set of liquor arranged on the shelf. "We were never together officially. It really wasn't anything…" she sighed.

Lucy just stared at the barmaid in wonder. "I don't get what you mean."

"When we were alone, we used to talk and act like lovers. It started off as a joke – he instigated it just to help me forget about what happened to Lisanna."

Mira smiled at the memory as she recalled how she and the Laxus used to be. She leant on the bar, taking a sip of the drink she prepared earlier. "No one really knew about the 'relationship' – it was just us. In the company of other guildmates, we were the same, except that I gradually changed."

The barmaid chuckled, turned to Lucy and gagged, "I'm pretty sure you know by now about how I used to be." Lucy smiled and nodded, gesturing for her to continue. Cana just smiled at the two, listening in to the S-class mage's story while drinking – this time, she drank a lot slower.

"It went on for about a year," Mira took another sip at her drink, making Cana quirk her eyebrows as she noticed that the barmaid was actually drinking hard liquor. "Somewhere in between, I just… I fell in love with him – and let me tell you this; I fell hard." Her words stung, even for both Lucy and Cana. The two felt the weight of Mira's statement – through the way she said it, through the way her hands balled into fists, through the way her eyes twitched, and through the way her body sort of froze.

Instantly, Lucy knew it didn't end well for her friend and idol. Cana, on the other hand, knew of it already, but still ended up looking at Mira in pity.

"It was gradual, but it started to hurt because back then, I thought that perhaps it was just him pitying me. There was never a time we said 'I love you' to each other – so I didn't know how he felt." The white-haired beauty's voice cracked, she was trying not to cry. At this, Lucy took hold of her friend's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Mira took control of her emotions by taking a deep breath, "Just looking at him, I knew he wouldn't approve of a relationship either way, because it might cause conflict within the guild if we split. I went on with him until the hurt was too much for me to handle. After that, I decided just to avoid him without saying anything – so we drifted apart, just like that."

"He understood what I was trying to do, and so he started going on long-term S-Class missions to help make things easier for me, while I just remained at the guild managing the bar. Up until now I don't know how he feels… but I know I still harbor feelings for him, that's why I don't go out with anyone – I don't want to leave them hanging, waiting for a lady who is haunted by her love for someone who never got to know of her feelings."

Mira gave out a long sigh and smiled. "And that's how we ended up here."

Lucy and Cana could only stare as the white-haired beauty stood up, and went back to managing the bar – smiling, as if she hadn't been holding back tears just moments ago.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I intended it to be a one-shot, but I have decided to make it a multi-chapter story because of the fairly moderate demand for me to do so. I also think that it would be quite good to continue from where I left off. After all, you can't have the whole story if you only know one side of it, right? I'm a bit edgy because I don't think I caught Laxus' attitude well enough because it's a bit difficult giving out his arrogance and apathy whilst telling his side of the story.**

**I didn't actually reread this, but I promise I will early in the morning! So once again, should you find any errors, then please do not hesitate to inform me.**

**This is for the people who have reviewed, and to all the Laxus x Mira fans out there lurking around. I know you guys are over lurking somewhere, you are not alone! :)**

* * *

><p>It was already evening when a blond-haired man walked through the opened doors of the guild. He scratched his head, brushing through his SoundPod magical headsets in the process. He skimmed through the whole place and sighed; it was another usual day for the Fairy Tail guild – albeit not too many people were around, the place was still filled with a extraordinary presence of merrymaking coupled with smoke from a couple of guild members puffing a cigar, and the heavy smell of booze.<p>

He could see some of his guild mates fighting with each other amidst the fiasco, and he figured that they were probably fighting over trivial matters yet again. From all the chaos brought about by the fight, his gaze caught sight of a pink blur which only meant one thing for him – "Natsu is causing trouble again," he said. "Why is it so noisy every time I come back from a job?" he stated, sighing in the process.

He walked through the guild, successfully avoiding being part of the silly commotion. His search for peace had been in vain, as in his way was a dragon slayer, with fists clenched and a grin plastered onto his face.

"Laxus, fight me!" the pink-haired dragon slayer exclaimed with flames bursting out from his mouth as he blurted his challenge. The S-class mage could only shake his head in annoyance as Natsu charged at him with his fist on fire. Laxus nudged the dragon slayer's upper arm just as he was about to hit him, changing the course of his punch. "Not today, Natsu," was all he said as he punched the pinkette, fist charged with lightning, straight in the gut, careful not to hurt him too much yet strong enough to send him flying through to the wall, leaving a dent on it. The other guild members just stared wide-eyed at Natsu who only uttered a weak, "I surrender" before passing out.

"Well that certainly shut him up," said a completely naked Gray before turning to the blond mage, "Oh, and welcome back, Laxus".

Laxus nodded in acknowledgement, still lazily strutting towards the bar while his other companions welcomed him back. He sloppily sat down one of the bar stools, just beside Lucy whom he assumed was trying to stay away from the whole fiasco. The Celestial spirit mage took notice of his presence immediately and greeted him, earning a nod of acknowledgement from the other blond-haired fellow.

The sudden tense movements by Mirajane, who was manning the bar, did not escape her eyes. She felt an awkwardness that stung the air around the two, which she was sure that she would not have been able to notice had she not known of their past from the barmaid. Lucy had to inwardly admit though, that they were both very good at hiding their discomfort, as to an untrained eye, it would seem that they were still the same. She decided to save them both the trouble, she turned to Laxus and asked him, "Had a rough day due to your job?" to which he grumbled in response.

"What can I get you, Laxus?" asked Mira smiling after seemingly being able to collect herself after the surprise drop-by of her past lover. Lucy watched as the man's eyes slowly rose towards Mira's, "Oh my God, I feel like I'm watching a suspense-filled drama on television," she thought.

"Just a shot of tequila will do. Thanks."

"Alright then," the barmaid smiled and started preparing his drink.

The interaction almost drove Lucy insane; the awkward air that loomed around the two affected her so much that she just decided to excuse herself, mentally uttering an apology to Mira for leaving her in the awkward situation.

"Have you heard from the Raijinshuu?" asked Laxus, breaking the silence. He had not seen his team since he left for his S-Class job a week ago.

"They left shortly after you did, they're looking after Wendy," replied Mira as she served the artificial dragon slayer his drink, complete with a small amount of salt and sliced lemons. "They took a battle-oriented mission in hopes of giving Wendy a little bit more experience in battles. They went off to eliminate a fiend lurking in the outskirts of Fiore, just at the intersection leading towards Bosco. It's quite far, so I assume it will take more than a week before they arrive back into the guild."

He uttered a quick 'thanks' before he consumed his drink in one go. Silence seemed to have engulfed the both of them as they seemed to have been stuck amidst and empty white space, just the two of them. Mira stood in front of Laxus, but her back turned against him as she wiped a couple of glasses clean while the man just observed her, deep in thought.

"What's on your mind right now?" asked Mirajane, turning around to face the blond.

Laxus, surprised by the sudden question that broke his contemplation, leant on the bar counter and replied with another question. "What makes you think that there's something..?" he smirked arrogantly, masking his emotions.

Mirajane answered him without faltering, staring straight into his eyes. "Well, for one… you don't usually drink tequila… in the past, you only downed them when you have something bothering you."

Laxus turned his head to the side, his smirk turning into a slight smile. "So you still remember my habits even after all this time," he mused to himself. His train of thought was once again interrupted when the white-haired beauty asked him, "So what is it? Anything I can be of help with?"

He stood up and smirked once again, "If only you knew…" he said to himself.

"I'm just a bit tired from the job that's all," he lied before walking out of the guild, leaving the barmaid shaking her head disapprovingly at the man's pitiful escape tactic.

It was late in the evening already when he set foot outside. Time seemed to pass by quickly whenever he was around her, he noted as he continued to walk aimlessly around town, trying to take in a breath of fresh air before heading home. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep anyway even if he did go home early, as his mind drifts off onto subjects that he'd rather not face, specifically Mirajane.

He took a trip down memory lane, and remembered how his relationship with her began and ended. He was doubtful to call it a relationship, as thought that perhaps, the relationship itself meant nothing, and that it never really began in the first place. "Why would something that does not have a beginning have an ending?" he contemplated.

It was merely a game for both of them that he pulled out of his sleeve after Lisanna died, and she was still trying to cope. He had been rather attached to her younger sister as well, and he thought that perhaps it would be good to use each other's presence, in order to help her to supplant the loss of Lisanna, and in order for him to somehow deal with his darkness of being overshadowed by his grandfather. It all backfired on him as he did not know that he would end up falling deeply in love with her in the process.

Eventually, she started being distant for an unknown reason and it pained him more than it should. He did not bother ask why, nor did he say anything about it. He had his own troubles, after all. He thought that perhaps she had no need for him anymore, and that he was in too deep with his own problems, that he felt that he should not concern her with it any longer. In the end, his problems ended up consuming him, and changing him into someone he never really wanted to be.

It has been too long since their little game ended; the fact that he still felt a sense of longing for her, and the fact that the countless what-ifs that he had to let go off still haunted him years after, was something that remotely frightened him.

Without even realizing it, he reached his apartment. Laxus scratched his head in frustration at the annoying thoughts that overcame him. He sighed in resignation, thinking that the reason of his deep contemplation on the matter was perhaps because the shot of tequila got to him really badly due to his exhaustion. He went into his apartment and decided to rest for the day, with the thought of finally confronting Mirajane of his unresolved feelings plastered at the back of his mind.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There should be one or two more chapters after this, but I'm unsure as to when I would update next. Please do leave a review, tell me what you think about this chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I updated earlier than I thought I would because I am too lazy to read the study notes that they gave me for my university studies. Did I mention that the reason I updated the last chapter was also because I was procrastinating? LOL **

**I think this story will actually end up being longer than I expected.**

**I have not done any proof-reading on this one because I am lazy, it's past 2 in the morning, and I don't think I will ever plan on doing any proof-reading until waaay later. Man, I wish more people would write Laxus x Mira fics, or that Mashima actually puts in hints to this pairing into the next few chapters.**

**Once again, this chapter is for all the people who reviewed in the past chapters, it means a lot to me that you do. Also for all the Laxus x Mira fans wandering around FFN.**

**I realized that I forgot to put a disclaimer on the second chapter, so...**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail. Yes, this disclaimer will apply for all the chapters, as I am too lazy to put these up every time I update.**

* * *

><p>Laxus was leaning on the bar with his back, his hands held a glass of soda; notably, half of the contents were gone, and in its place was ice, floating from what remained. He would have chosen to drink hard liquor if not due to the fact that he suffered from a bad hangover courtesy of the night before, where he drank a whole bottle of liquor when he got home.<p>

He grumpily observed the guild, as he downed the remnants of his drink slowly. The guild hall was dark, and everyone was surprisingly silent, as they were submerged in anticipation. There were no fighting that ensued as Natsu was on a mission with Lucy, and the other troublemaker, Gray, was on a different mission with Juvia, much to the latter's pleasure.

"_I'm sure glad that those two idiots aren't here, if they were, I would have murdered them as I am sure they would have created trouble by now. Just thinking about it makes my headache worse… I better leave before they return from their mission later on," _he thought lazily.

Light shone on the beautiful barmaid, who was sitting on a stool up on the stage. At that, the stagnant silence was broken as the guild started to cheer.

Mira smiled, and waited for the cheering to die down before continuing. "Everyone" said Mirajane, whose voice was being amplified by the magical microphones, "I would like to offer you this song that I composed not too long ago."

As Mira started strumming beautiful chords on her guitar, Laxus' mind began to erase the sight of everyone else. He stared at Mirajane intensely, until he could only see her. She started singing a tune that was reminiscent to the feeling of nostalgia, it seemed as if the words were of a mage's longing for their friends who have been gone for a long period of time, but to Laxus, it was different – the words fit perfectly to his feeling of longing – the feeling of longing for her love. It was a straight arrow that hit his emotions.

"**I want time to pass by quickly… so I can envelop you in my arms once again… and I hope that time would stop at the moments that we are together. I will wait no matter how long it takes… just to be with you again,"** she sang emotionally, the words were coupled with the weight of her emotions. She sang as if she was letting out everything she kept inside of her.

Her words stung, not only for Laxus, but also for the majority of people in the guild. It hit home for Cana, who hasn't seen her father since he journeyed once again; Erza, who can't be together with the love of her life, Jellal, and the people who have been left behind for the seven years that the Tenrou gang was gone.

Laxus' heart ached, as he stood in the little world that he had created in his head, where everything else was an empty void, and they were the only ones left in that empty space. He clenched his free hand, as his face contorted to a look of regret.

As the song came to a close, a few of the guild members were trying to avoid shedding tears but to no avail. Laxus, on the other hand, was ushered back to reality, like the black space was shattered into glass shards, and was replaced by the scene of the guild hall once again. He shook his head and clapped his hands, while his friends cheered at Mira who just bowed and left the stage. The lights turned back on, and he decided to head to the guild's balcony to clear his head.

He sighed, as he leant on the veranda, staring at the town of Magnolia. He frowned, "I'm not over you just yet," he said and he let out a frustrated yell while roughly scratching his head. He ran his palm onto his face, and cast his eyes downward, "As if it isn't obvious yet," he stated, annoyed. His headache just got worse.

* * *

><p>Late into the afternoon, Natsu came barging into the guild yelling, "We're baaack!" whilst breathing fire. Behind him was Lucy, who just face-palmed in frustration at his teammate's recklessness. They were welcomed back with remarks of how Natsu shouldn't have broken the door again, to which he just ignored. The fire dragon slayer smiled at his blonde teammate affectionately before challenging Gajeel into a brawl, to which the latter agreed to, much to the disapproval of the cobalt-haired bookworm, Levy.<p>

"…And they're at it again," stated Lucy, walking towards Mirajane who was serving drinks once again, with the help of Lisanna this time. "We're back, Mira, Lisanna."

"Welcome back," the Strauss siblings replied simultaneously. "How was your mission?" asked the older sibling, "Anything good that happened?" she added suggestively, with a smile on her face.

"Not really, other than the fact that Natsu just destroyed one of the bridges while fighting some bandits…" she said sighing. "Apart from that… well…" Lucy blushed and looked away. She shook her head and continued, "It's nothing!"

Lucy figured it would be rather awkward talking about her relationship with Natsu in the presence of Lisanna because of their past together, although the latter clearly stated that there was nothing between them, Lucy knew that the youngest take-over mage harbored feelings for the reckless fire dragon slayer at one point.

"I see…" was all Mirajane replied with, mentally taking a note to find out later.

"Hey Lucy, anything I can get for you?" asked Lisanna, after placing three mugs of beer in the table that Wakaba, Macao, and Makarov shared. Lucy just shook her head in response, she explained how she was still a bit shaken at all the destruction that her partner caused, and how she is worried about her rent money as she lost most of the pay for the destruction. Lisanna nodded at her and tended to Cana, who was halfway across the guild hall.

Lucy sighed, and decided to change the subject, turning to the S-Class mage. "So, Mira, how did your conversation with Laxus go?"

"It was okay…" stated the barmaid as she smiled sheepishly. Mirajane sighed, "I think it's time for me to move on."

Her statement surprised Lucy, as she stared at her incredulously. Mira just smiled at their reaction and explained, "It isn't going anywhere… I don't think I even want to know what he thinks about me – rather, I think I'm afraid to know. I don't want to ask him because it is already awkward as it is."

Lucy frowned, "You might regret your decision, Mira. It's going to be frightening, and painful not knowing what he thinks about you. And saying, 'It's time to move on' won't necessarily erase your feelings for him," she persuaded.

"I know that it won't disappear but maybe the reason that I'm still not over Laxus is because I refuse to see any other guy apart from him. Maybe it's time for me to actually start thinking about dating someone else…"

Lucy was beyond surprised, "Don't tell me… you're considering Freed's confession..?" she asked, to which the barmaid just nodded to.

"_It was a difficult decision for Mirajane,"_ thought Lucy, _"Then again… it may be what she really needs right now. Maybe she won't come to love Freed until later so I guess it's logical to give it a try… I think…"_ she said to herself.

"Can I have a drink please, Mira?" she asked, still contemplating whether or not her friend made the right decision.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please point out mistakes that you find in this chapter, if any. Also, kindly leave a review, stating what you think of this chapter or stuff like that, including suggestions. Reviews make me happy, even if they're flames that scorch through the depths of my soul. LOL**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I decided to update again, because I was too lazy to finish a book for one of my classes. Procrastination is definitely the root of my motivation for writing. This chapter was actually intended to be a lot longer than it should be, but I figured that if I went on with writing it then I wouldn't have enough time to read the book that I have to finish for tomorrow.**

**Thanks to everyone who left a review, keep them coming! Your feedback helped me regain my motivation, apart of course, from the fact that I'm procrastinating on my studies.**

**This is dedicated to my reviewers, and the people who added this story into their favourites and story alert. I hope you all like it, and I hope I didn't make Laxus too far off his character.**

* * *

><p>It was early morning, yet the crowd bustled in the busy streets of the town. It was just a regular day for the people of Magnolia, as it is for the mages of Fairy Tail – for whatever normalcy would apply to them.<p>

Laxus stood, with his hands kept in his pockets, inside of the music store, contemplating. He was thinking of buying a new set of headphones as his old trusty signature SoundPod is long out of date. In the years spent trapped inside the Fairy Sphere, technological innovations with regards to music boomed quite a bit, and he had just known of the new models of headphones. He thought deeply on the matter, as he treasures his music as a part of his lifestyle – he cannot live a day without listening to music.

He sighed; he wasn't getting anywhere with his deep contemplation. He couldn't choose between the two types of headsets before him. One was the older version, but with a much more exquisite design, the other was the new Lacrima model that came out fairly recently it included sound quality boosters which he found interesting, however, the look of it was not his type – it was too mellow for him.

He scratched the back of his head in exasperation, with a visible frown planted on his face. He looked sideways, wanting to see if the shop had something better to offer. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a familiar figure carrying numerous bags of groceries. He smirked when he noticed who it was – Mirajane. The lightning dragon slayer quickly made his way out of the shop, and decided to approach the lovely lady.

He decided to sneak up on her, making sure to blend in with the crowd as he knew that with her keen senses, she'd be able to detect him immediately. As he trailed her, he took his time observing and taking a good look at her. She was carrying five bags, and they were all without handles so she was struggling a little with carrying them.

He shook his head, _"I have no idea why I'm doing this," _he thought as he continued trail her amidst the crowd. "I believe this is what people call 'stalking'," he said to himself impatiently, finally deciding to approach her before he really felt like he was stalking her. He quickened his pace in order to catch up with the lovely barmaid, and just after a few seconds, he was able to reach her. Utilizing his height and reach, he grabbed three bags from behind her, which alerted the surprised barmaid. She quickly turned to see who it was, and heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of Laxus – sporting his cocky smirk while carrying the three bags without difficulty.

"Yo," he greeted with his familiar arrogant smile.

"Hey," stated Mira with a smile, "You surprised me, Laxus."

"Where do these go?" he asked indifferently.

"Oh, to the guild," she answered.

"Let's go then," he said, moving a little bit ahead, hinting for her to follow. Mira started walking along with his pace and said, "Thanks." She received no answer, as they both went on with their walk back to the guild in an awkward silence.

A few minutes into the silence, Laxus spoke. "What are these for?" he asked, tilting his head to look at her, and adding, "They're awfully a lot for you to carry on your own. Shouldn't Elfman be with you?"

"They're supplies for the upcoming Hanami. I have to stock up on food and materials so we wouldn't have to worry about lacking the needed stuff for when the festival comes. It's just a precaution, really… but I ended up buying a little bit too much."

Laxus nodded in understanding, he just remembered that in about a week's time, the Rainbow Sakura Festival would be held, and everyone knew that Fairy Tail would definitely be partying again. It was a tradition of some sorts, wherein they would all take a breather from jobs to bury themselves in the magnificent atmosphere of the blooming flowers. _"And of course, that meant pigging out and having a drinking spree for the guild members,"_ he though, rolling his eyes.

"Elfman went out on a job, and I didn't really want to bother the others because they're all giddy about the celebration, so I went without asking for assistance. It proved to be rather difficult though," she continued.

He snorted, "You're so stubborn, you know? You could have just asked me, I don't have anything to do anyway because the good-paying S-Class jobs are still scarce lately." Mirajane smiled at him, seeing his usual indifferent expression, "I'll keep that in mind," she replied.

"So… what brings you to town?" she asked, "You're not really the type who likes mingling with people. I figured you don't like crowds so much as you're so secluded, even in the guild."

"Yeah, well, I just thought I'd give my SoundPod a rest as I've had it for a couple of years now. It's pretty outdated already and the storage is almost full, so I came to check up on the new models," he replied. He explained how the new models had better sound quality, and allowed you to store more music into the Magical Headphones.

"I have a fairly new Lacrima model, and I haven't been using it. If you want, you can have it," she offered.

He thought about it for a moment before responding, "Don't worry about it, yours is the green Lacrima version, right? I don't think green would go well with my hair."

They both chuckled at his statement, and they went on walking while continuing to talk about random stuff, with the awkwardness notably gone. On their way, they came across Wendy, who was looking around, as if searching for something.

"Hmm, maybe Carla went ahead," they heard her say.

"Hey Wendy, what brings you to town?" greeted Mira. The female dragon slayer turned and greeted the two S-Class mages. "Carla and I wanted to check out the shops, but I lost sight of her not too long ago," the young mage explained.

"See? This is why little girls like you shouldn't be walking around a huge town alone," Laxus chided slightly bending down to Wendy's level. He earned a nudge from Mirajane, and a pout from Wendy. "Sorry, I'm just messing with you, kid," he apologized. "I reckon she went back to the guild. She'd probably have trouble looking for you even if she flew, with all these people around," he stated.

"I see, well it isn't really the first time that this has happened so…" the azure-haired girl said.

"We're heading to the guild, why don't you come with us?" offered Mira. The young dragon slayer immediately nodded in response, before offering to carry some of the bags. Laxus just stared at her, with a look that says, 'I'm fine'.

"Thanks, but you don't have to, Wendy," said Mira, smiling at the young lady. Wendy, on the other hand, insisted, and the barmaid ended up complying. She gave Wendy one of her bags, and they resumed walking.

The three went on their way around town, with Wendy and Mirajane chatting with each other, and Laxus responding occasionally. For the most part, though, he was just walking alongside them. While walking, Wendy's eyes traveled to a Magic Crane game machine, which was powered by a lacrima. She saw numerous unique plushies of Exceeds piled inside. Her diverted attention did not go unnoticed by the two adults. "What's wrong, kid?" asked Laxus, his eyes following Wendy's to the machine.

"Oh, my apologies," she said, looking back at the two. "I just saw a plush doll that somehow resembled Carla's mom."

Laxus' eyebrows perked upwards at the statement, he remembered the story behind the Exceeds, and his guildmates' exploits at Edolas shortly after he got expelled, and he knew the story from when he subtly asked about Lisanna's return.

"You want to try it?" Mirajane asked, turning to Wendy. The latter just shook her head, "I don't do very well with these games…" she stated, frowning.

Laxus smirked, "Well, I'm pretty good at those types of games. Why don't I give it a try?" stated the blond dragon slayer. Followed closely by the two ladies, he approached the machine, and put down the bags. He asked Wendy which plush-toy she wanted, and the younger female responded by pointing her free hand at the white Exceed plushie that resembled Carla.

He noted that it was in a very convenient place, and that there was a steel band on the plushie's waist with a tiny lacrima gem. He decided utilize it to his advantage by using his lightning to induce a small amount of magnetism from the crane to the steel band on the Exceed plushie. In one try, he was able to get the toy. Of course, Wendy wasn't able to notice his underhanded method because of the very small surge of lightning magnetism that he used.

He handed it over to Wendy, patting her hair roughly, smirking. "See? I'm just that great," he bragged, laughing proudly.

"Thank you very much," Wendy stated in pure gratitude, showing off a very cheerful smile.

The scene made Mirajane smile; she thought it was very charming of Laxus to help Wendy with that, even cheating to get the toy. Laxus picked up the bags once again, and started walking back to the guild, with a smiling Mirajane, and a very cheerful Wendy, holding the plush-toy closely on one arm, the other still wrapped around the bag.

When they caught sight of the guild, Mira told Wendy that she should go ahead and check if Carla was back, to which the blue-haired mage complied to. She took the bag with her, and went ahead.

When she was a bit further ahead, Mirajane smiled at Laxus. The blond man just looked at her, wondering what was up. "That was cheating, you know," she stated, smiling at him suggestively. Laxus just shrugged and replied, "I don't know what you mean," before they went on walking. _"Actually, now that I think about it, if I used it against Gajeel, it would probably hurt," _he thought to himself, grinning.

"You don't seem as repulsive to Wendy as you are with the others," said Mira without looking at him.

"Meh, she isn't annoying unlike the others," was his only reply. He thought about how the other two dragon slayers gave him headaches with their noise, as well as all the havoc they always cause, to which he could only shake his head and sigh disapprovingly.

"You doing anything after this?" asked Laxus, with the familiar look of indifference plastered on his face.

Mirajane nodded, "There will be a delivery of liquor later at the guild, I have to unload them, and then tend to the bar as usual," she replied.

"I see… I don't have anything on, so I'll help you out of you want."

"That would be lovely," she replied, "Thanks, Laxus." She earned a nod from Laxus, and they both went on.

* * *

><p>It was already afternoon when the delivery truck arrived, and as promised, Laxus helped Mira unload the liquor crates off the vehicle. Mira was checking the contents and ticking their names off her chart, signaling for Laxus to carry them when she has made sure they had the right number of bottles.<p>

Carrying three crates stacked together, Laxus commented, "You know, you shouldn't be doing hard labor," he stated before putting down the crates onto the storage room. When he got back, he added, "This is why you need a man. And by that, I don't mean Elfman," he smirked waiting for the next set of boxes. Mira chuckled at his words, turning to him. She decided to play along, "I'm working on it, Laxus," she smiled, "It's just that there is a lack of sane people in the guild to choose from," she added jokingly.

Her response made him grin wider, and without thinking, he jested, "Well then maybe we should get back together," but at this statement Mira stiffened – and he did too. He realized the weight of his statement, yet he smirked, as he wanted to know what she'd say, though as for that he was afraid of what her response may be.

Mira wasn't sure of what her expression was at that moment, and she didn't really care. _"Laxus, you're an idiot… why do you always do this to me?"_ she thought to herself, before forcing a reply, she turned to him and faked a smile, "Ha-ha, Laxus. Very funny," she stated sarcastically. She saw Laxus' serious expression, and it surprised her. He was actually tempted to tell her that he wasn't kidding, but he couldn't find the courage to. After a long pause of just staring at each other, not knowing what to do, Laxus broke into a fit of laughter, "I figured as much," he stated jokingly. Mira, in turn, just faked a smile before turning back to work.

"_Laxus, why do you always play with my feelings like this..?"_ she thought inwardly with her face exhibiting the pain she felt, _"And I'm an idiot for actually expecting something,"_ she contemplated.

For the remainder of their time, they both worked in silence.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I didn't know which spelling I should use for Charle or Carla, so I ended up consulting the FT Wiki site for it, and I used the name posted there.**

**Again, I encourage you to leave a feedback, and tell me what you think of this chapter, especially with how I characterized Laxus. Reviews make me all giddy inside, I don't know why, but just saying. :P**

**I didn't proof-read this, as usual, so there are bound to be mistakes, and for that I apologize.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I decided to update this because it's Easter break, and I couldn't sleep. This chapter is a lot shorter compared to the other ones, and I apologize for that. It's all Sting's fault.**

**Once again, thanks for the reviews, they motivated me to write this one. I hope you guys keep on reviewing because it helps especially when you leave behind your POVs on how you viewed my chapters, it helps put me into their character a bit more.**

**As usual, I dedicate this chapter to my lovely reviewers, and the Laxus/Mira fans.**

* * *

><p>It was announced by Makarov that there would be a dance ball in the evening of the Hanami festival. Since Fairy Tail decided to host a huge festival for the citizens of Magnolia, the elderly Master decided that they are required to dress formally for the dance, and were encouraged to participate. He was determined to make this festival a success to celebrate the rise of Fairy Tail's guild status. There were mixed reactions with regards to the dance, and the dress code.<p>

"You all have to look good for a change, you brats!" responded the Master, after hearing the whining from some of the members. Makarov inwardly wanted it to be a success as he knew that it would boost Fairy Tail's reputation, and that some of the Magic Council members are going to be present.

"And so the old man says," stated a bored Laxus, sparing an indifferent glance at his teammates and Lisanna who sat at the same round table as him. "Guess I'm going on a job then," he added.

Lisanna jested, "You're no fun, Laxus," nudging the lightning mage; much to the latter's annoyance. "Ohh…" Lisanna's face contorted to an amused one, "Could it be… that you don't know how to dance?" she grinned suggestively at Laxus, forcing herself not to laugh, as did the other members of the Raijinshuu.

"Hey, shut it, you little brat," stated an annoyed Laxus, "I know damn well how to dance. I am just not fond of all that formal stuff."

"I know, right?" said Natsu, as he passed by, "It doesn't fit well with us."

"Gi hee," Gajeel snickered from the other table, "Of course, Salamander. Being civilized is not in your dictionary."

"What did you say, you iron bastard?" responded Natsu.

"Even if I explained, you wouldn't understand because of your flame-brain," replied a smirking Gajeel.

"You wanna fight, bastard?"

"Gi hee, just don't go on crying later!"

The two began their brawl, and in just a few moments, most of the others were sucked into their fight as well. Away from the fiasco, Levy, who was originally sitting beside Gajeel, stood shaking her head in disapproval.

"That," said Laxus while pointing towards all the fighting, "is why I don't even want to come," he said, moving away. Lisanna just sweat-dropped at his guildmates' antics, "Figures," she nodded at Laxus in agreement.

After all the fighting has subsided, the ladies were all flocking in one spot while dreamily talking about the dance. "Master says we're supposed to pick partners for the dance," stated Cana, "Too bad, there aren't any decent guys in the guild," she stated, chugging at a glass of beer, the others just smiled at her remark.

"Ah, I still need to shop for a dress!" exclaimed Lucy, obviously in a dilemma. Levy nodded, "I also need a dress for the dance," she sighed, "I wish we didn't have to dress up."

"Aww, Levy, sometimes things like these are good for you too!" stated Lisanna.

Lucy chuckled and looked at Levy suggestively, "Bet you're going to enjoy the dance with Gajeel," she teased, nudging her friend.

"Lucyyyy!" exclaimed Levy, blushing furiously, to which the others laughed.

Juvia glanced dreamily at Gray, who was half-naked and arm-wrestling with Elfman at the table across theirs. She clasped her hands together, "Ah! To dance under the moonlight with Gray-sama! Kyaa!" she stated with stars in her eyes, in only a few moments, she was once again lost in her own world.

"My, my," stated Mira, smiling at Juvia.

"Looks like she's at the point of no return, once again," commented Lucy, and they couldn't agree more.

Lucy turned to her scarlet-haired teammate, "What about you, Erza? Do you have a dress for the dance already?"

Erza was in a daze, and didn't realize that Lucy was talking to her until the blonde celestial spirit mage waved her hand in front of her face. She immediately snapped back to reality, and told Lucy that she'd probably come with her in buying a new dress, "You just can't have enough dresses," she commented.

Mira noticed that her former rival was totally out of it lately, and she concluded that her melancholy was perhaps due to the blue-haired tattooed man. She once mentioned that they haven't seen each other since the end of the Grand Magic games. "_Erza probably misses him_," she thought. She understood Erza's concerns as well. Almost everyone else had their own partners; Natsu would probably pair up with Lucy, Gajeel would most likely ask Levy, Juvia would probably be able to force Gray to dance with her, Evergreen had Elfman. With the recent developments, she figured that because of their age difference, Wendy would probably dance with Romeo.

While the others probably didn't care much of the dance, she knew how enthusiastic Erza is about those kinds of things, and in a way, she also understood how her scarlet-haired friend felt. All that longing must be painful too.

Mirajane wasn't the only one who noticed Erza's troubles. Laxus, who was discreetly watching over Mira from the second floor, also noticed it after seeing the look that Mira had when she noticed the requip mage. He came to the same conclusion as the take-over mage, he already knew what was troubling Erza – it was the only matter that troubled her: Jellal.

* * *

><p>Later in the afternoon, Laxus approached Mirajane at the bar for a refill. The latter greeted him with a smile, and fixed up his drink.<p>

"Say, Laxus, you coming to the dance?" she asked, after handing him his drink.

"Thanks," he said, taking a sip of his liquor. "I'm debating whether I should or not. I am not a fan of formal dances, and I don't feel like dressing up either, so I probably won't be there," he added.

Mira frowned, "That's too bad though, I think you'd look dashing in a suit," she stated honestly. This made Laxus grin, "Oh, is that so?" he said as his eyebrows quirked upwards. "You're flattering me, Mira," he chuckled. The barmaid just smiled, "I'm not kidding."

Laxus just smirked, "If you say so," he said, turning back and walking towards his original spot.

"_Guess I'm going to need a new suit_," he thought to himself, "_And perhaps I should also do something about Jellal." _He figured that he might as well, because he owes Erza for sticking by his gramps all throughout his absence.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This chapter is sort of more focused to Erza and Jellal rather than Laxus and Mira, but I promise that you'd get your moments soon. I'll be honest with you, I plan on putting NaLu, GaLe, Gruvia, and Jerza moments in the story, as well as some others like ElfEver, but that would be in the future. :P**

**Miraxus- Glad you like how I portrayed Laxus on the last chapter, I hope how I portrayed him in this one doesn't disappoint you. I'm also going on a withdrawal... I need at least small hints for Mira and Laxus. I wish Mashima would give us more moments.**

**Niezapominajka- Your English is fine! It's also not my first language so we're on the same boat. Thanks for reviewing all the time! :)**

**Unknown Doll- Sorry about that, I also wanted to use Charle originally, but thought twice on it because of the wiki. I'm actually thinking of how I'd make Freed and Laxus face off, so I hope you look forward to it.**

**0ri0n- I'm glad you like how I portrayed Laxus. He seems a bit more light-hearted in the previous manga chapters, so I tried catching his character from there. I made this chapter a bit lighter compared to the other ones because I think they both need a breath of fresh air.**

**Treegona- Thanks for the review, you actually motivated me to update this because I've been too lazy to update, haha.**

**two- Glad you're liking the story so far, thanks for the review.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This one is supposed to be a longer chapter, but I decided to cut it in half because I'm too lazy. But I promise the next chapter will be up within 24 hours. And if there are mistakes on this, then I apologize because I am lazy and I don't want to proof-read. Once again, thanks for the reviews and the story/author alerts.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters. (Lol jk, I'm Hiro Mashima in disguise, writing fanfictions because the manga has limited panels.)**

* * *

><p>Laxus stood with his arms crossed and his right foot tapping the floor of the dark red carpet of the luxurious store, which was adorned with crimson and gold furniture. It was one of those exquisite shops for wealthy mages so not a lot of people were shopping inside, which was quite the contrary from the busy streets of Magnolia shown outside of its glass windows.<p>

He scratched the back of his head in frustration, and sighed. He was having a hard time picking a suit for the ball which was to be held in a week's time. He didn't want to ask for assistance because he couldn't be bothered with dealing with the shopkeeper who was busy dilly-dallying with one of the other customers on the other side of the store, which mostly had the casual apparels.

Meanwhile, Lucy passed by the said shop on her way back from the guild, when an elegant sleek cobalt dress that was displayed got her attention. "I have to get a hold of this dress for the ball," she said to herself as she stared at it with amazement.

She checked the price, and her eyes almost balled out from their sockets. "250,000 Jewels? You're kidding me!" she thought in dismay. "Maybe I could try to talk the shopkeeper into giving me a discount. After all, I shop here all the time," she said to herself before entering the store.

"Well if it isn't Lucy!" greeted the male shopkeeper cheerfully, "Great timing, we just got new shipment from Heart-Kreuz. I'm sure you'd like to check them out," he said. Lucy smiled at him and greeted back, "Sorry, but I think I'll check them out some other time. I'm interested in the blue dress displayed over there," she said, pointing at the dress. "Ah yes!" the shopkeeper clasped his hands together, "As usual, you have great taste. It's a one-of-a-kind dress tailored by Heart-Kreuz exclusive for this store in commemoration of their 150th anniversary in the business," he explained before ushering Lucy towards the display. After checking out the dress, she asked the shopkeeper if it was possible to get a discount for it, and he happily obliged.

"Since you're one of our valued customers," he stated, "I'm willing to give you a 20 percent discount for the dress."

Lucy contemplated for a moment, before declining the offer, explaining that she wouldn't have enough for her rent. "Fair enough," said the shopkeeper, "However, the offer still stands in case you change your mind," he continued, smiling.

She thanked the shopkeeper, and from her spot, she caught sight of the tall blond man, who was brooding in front of one of the suits enclosed inside the glass windows illuminated by the little spotlights. She immediately knew who it was, because of the huge overcoat. The stellar spirit mage excused herself and approached Laxus.

"Hey Laxus," she greeted, "Picking a suit for the dance?"

The tall mage was a bit surprised by her presence. "Oh, if it isn't the cheerleader," he said. He nodded, "Yeah. You getting your dress for the ball today?" he asked.

Lucy frowned and looked away, "Yeah, I saw a great dress so I was negotiating with the shopkeeper for a discount but I still can't afford it so I might just use one of my old dresses," she explained, still a bit sad about the dress.

"Ah, well I don't get why you need new ones all the time," the lightning mage stated, shaking his head. "I can't choose between this white suit and the dark blue one over there," he said, pointing at the suits. "I look good in everything, but I wanted the one which I would look best with," he added. Lucy just rolled her eyes at his conceitedness.

"Hmm…" Lucy hummed. She took a look at the suits before taking a step back to look at Laxus with her brows furrowed, and a finger on her lip as if in deep contemplation.

The dragon slayer's eyebrows quirked upwards in confusion, "Oi, are you checking me out?" he asked to which the stellar spirit mage flushed, "Of course not!" she declined furiously. She had been in a lot of dances, and also had a very good fashion sense so she immediately knew what Laxus should pick.

She motioned for the shopkeeper to come to her aid, and bring the elegant white set of formal wear for Laxus to try on, to which the shopkeeper immediately complied to. She skimmed through the sets of dress shirts and picked a plain white one before moving towards the vest rack and picking a red vest, then shoving it in front of Laxus. "Ditch the white vest that comes with that suit, and try those now, and we'll think of the tie later on," she ordered.

"Uh, okay," was all Laxus said before heading over to the dressing room. It didn't take too long before he went out, sporting the white suit and trousers with the blood-red vest, and the white-colored dress shirt.

"Not bad," he said, looking at the mirror. The shopkeeper, who had been watching their exchange, had stars in his eyes, admiring the suited mage.

Lucy smiled, "You look great!" she said.

"Now for the tie," stated Lucy before quickly taking a bright-red tie from one of the racks. The blond dragon slayer's face paled as Lucy gave him the tie.

"I… Err…"

"Hm? Something the matter, Laxus?"

"How do you tie this thing?" he asked dejectedly, shifting his gaze to the sides, not wanting to look at his guild-mate.

It took a few seconds for Lucy to process the information, and when it finally clicked, she burst out laughing. "You don't know how to put on a necktie?" she asked, still stifling a laugh. Laxus blushed in embarrassment, before snapping at her, "Would you just tell me how to fix this thing?"

"Sorry, sorry," she said chuckling, "I'll do it for you, but make sure you watch carefully, so you can do it yourself on the day of the dance, got it?" The dragon slayer just nodded in agitation before handing the tie over to Lucy.

The stellar spirit mage maneuvered it perfectly, and had it tied neatly in seconds. Laxus wasn't sure of what she was doing, and was completely lost, but he figured that he'd just worry about it later on.

"All done," she said, before taking a step back to look at Laxus. "You look really great! You should try this look more often instead of wearing that huge overcoat," she chided.

"Hey, I like the coat. It's like a trademark," Laxus jested while smirking. "And I look good in everything, so it isn't a surprise," he remarked. Lucy only rolled her eyes at his conceited comment before stating a quick and lifeless "If you say so".

The shopkeeper clapped his hands in amazement, Laxus really did look splendid.

"I'll take these then," said the lightning mage, turning to the shopkeeper. The latter smiled widely, as it was a huge deal on his part.

"Splendid. That would be 700,000 jewels, sir."

Laxus just nodded and handed him his card, while Lucy's face paled dramatically. _"700,000 JEWELS?" _she thought, _"THAT IS TOO MUCH! THAT'S TEN MONTHS OF MY RENT!"_ The stellar spirit mage's jaw would have dropped on the floor had it not been physically impossible.

"Oh, and give her the dress too," Laxus said, pointing his thumb at Lucy, who was still frozen behind him.

The female mage was still stock-still, and hadn't been paying attention until the lightning dragon slayer turned and snapped his fingers in front of her face, earning a jolt from Lucy.

"Sorry, what is it?" she asked.

"Try on the dress you were looking at earlier, and check if it fits. I'll buy it for you 'cause you helped me with my suit."

Laxus' statement confused the other mage. She tilted her head and uttered a quick, "Huh?"

The dragon slayer glared at her reaction, not wanting to repeat what he said earlier. It took a few seconds for her to process what he said, and when she did, she flushed.

"W-What! Are you sure about that, Laxus?" she stuttered.

Laxus was getting agitated, "Will you just try the dress on?" he exclaimed. He didn't have time for this; he still needed to go to the former council member Yajima-san's place for assistance regarding Jellal.

Lucy just yelped at his sudden outburst before squeaking, "Aye sir" and running off towards the dress. Even if Laxus had softened up a little, she was still afraid of him because she knew what he could do. "And hurry it up!" she heard him say. She quickly tried the dress on and smiled at how well it looks on her, before heading outside the changing room for him to see. Laxus was still way over at the counter, so she just waved at him and gave him a thumbs up. Laxus nodded, "Not bad," he said before turning to the shop-owner. "I'll buy that one too."

Lucy changed back to her regular clothes and handed the dress over the counter.

"The dress is worth 250,000 Jewels, sir. But since Lucy is quite a regular here, we'll give it to you for 200,000 Jewels," said the shopkeeper. Laxus just nodded and handed him his card.

"Thank you for your purchase, sir," stated the shopkeeper with a huge smile on his face after handing over the goods. He just made a little less than a million jewels in one sale, and he was grinning from ear-to-ear. "I didn't know Lucy had such a great older brother," he added.

Laxus sweat-dropped comically, "Huuuh?" he said. "Where in the world did you pick that up from?"

Lucy's eyebrows quirked upwards as she shook her hands frantically in front of her, "No, no, we're not siblings."

"Ah, I apologize. Fair enough, please have a great day!" he said.

Laxus opened the door and held it for Lucy, he may not be a pure-bred gentleman like Freed but he still had his manners.

When they were out the shop, Lucy turned to him, "Thank you for the dress," she said, only to see that he still had a look of bemusement plastered on his face.

"Siblings? Seriously? Where did that come from?" he asked, still bewildered.

Lucy couldn't help but laugh at this side of Laxus, even though she also couldn't help but wonder why the shopkeeper mistook them as siblings. "Maybe because of the hair," she said chuckling. "But really, thanks a lot," she added, smiling at the taller mage.

The lighting dragon slayer just nodded, and walked away, "Yeah well, see you," he said with his back turned to her.

"_Now that I've got the suit ticked off my list, I just need to ask Yajima-san for any hints regarding that troublesome tattoo-boy, for the equally troublesome fairy queen,"_ he thought to himself, rolling his eyes, before looking at the suit that was on a garment bag. _"First I need to take this home, and then have something to eat, I guess."_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And that's it for this chapter. A whole chapter just for Laxus buying a suit? I'm such a fanboy! But I think it's best that I show you little interactions with him and a couple of the other FT members to showcase his personal growth(After the Fight-Fest arc). I hope it isn't disappointing for you that Mira didn't appear at all on this one, and he'll be match-making Jellal and Erza on the next few chapters. (Switching roles with Mira? LOL)**

**As I've stated above, I'm uploading the next chapter within 24 hours. Hope you stick with me until then. :)**

**Also, I'll try to reply to your reviews by private messages so do check your inbox. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Here's the promised update. I'm sorry it's late by two hours. I overslept, and it's all Sting's fault.**

**This is once again dedicated to my lovely readers.**

**Note: I apologize for having to upload this twice, I reread it and found some lapses. I'm sorry for the notifications for the people who have me on their alerts list.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

><p>"Ugh, finally at Hargeon…" stated a pale Laxus as he stood clutching his head with one arm, while using the other to lean on the wall for support. He took time to compose himself before walking out of the station, "I had no choice but to ride the train as I'm in a hurry. Those two better be grateful for this," he said to himself.<p>

After settling, he decided to get a move on, and head over to the former council member Yajima-san's restaurant, 8-Island.

The chimes clinked as he opened to door of the restaurant. Though it was late in the afternoon, he was still welcomed by a busy atmosphere, and a quick greeting from a young waitress whom he assumed to be one of the contracted workers hired by the owner. The waitress offered him a seat, to which he politely refused.

"I'm here to see Yajima-san," he told the waitress.

"I'm afraid he's quite busy at the moment, so he might not be able to attend to you right now so you may have to wait a bit. I shall inform him of your presence, Mister..?"

"Laxus Dreyar," he replied.

"Okay then, sir. Please take a seat and I'll let the boss know," she said, winking at Laxus. The dragon slayer just nodded and sat near one of the windows. Contrary to what the waitress said, he did not have to wait long, for the former council member approached him only a few minutes after his confrontation with the waitress.

"Well, if it isn't little Laxus," stated the old man, still carrying his frying pan.

"I'm not so little anymore, Yajima-san," he said, smiling at his grandfather's close friend. "It's been a while."

"Indeed, it has," replied Yajima, flipping over the contents of his pan.

"You don't usually drop by, and I'm sure there's a reason behind your visit," he said, looking at Laxus intently.

The lightning dragon slayer nodded.

"Well, for whatever reason you came here for, you just have to wait a little longer. The shop will be closed in about an hour," explained Yajima.

"Yeah, no problem."

While waiting, the waitress approached him once again and served him some food and a 'Holly Soda', adding that it was on the house for the day. The delicious food and the music from his SoundPod made the waiting a lot easier for him, and an hour passed by quickly.

"Well, what is it, boy?" asked the old mage.

"I just need to ask… Have you had any news on Crime Sorcière lately?"

The old mage's brows quirked upwards at the mention of Crime Sorcière, he was one of the few who came to know of the guild's essence after the Grand Magic games, but he couldn't help but wonder what Laxus could possibly want from them.

Laxus, sensing his bewilderment, decided to add, "I just need to talk to Jellal about something. It isn't that big of a deal, really."

"I see… well, I haven't heard from them in particular but I heard from Bob, that a dark guild has been eradicated once again, somewhere in the outskirts of the town of Shirotsume. It was just about three days ago. It's high likely that it was Crime Sorcière's doing, but we can't be sure."

The former councilman then decided to point out a couple of places that he might wish to check. They were the rumored spots of the different dark guilds that were nearby.

The dragon slayer couldn't help but smile, "I see. Thanks a lot, Yajima-san."

"Very well, young lad," replied Yajima, "You should drop by more often."

Laxus nodded and stood, "Thanks again. I'll try to come over soon, but you should visit us too, in time for the Hanami next week."

"Of course, I will be there. Ma-boy still needs to treat me with some ramen and twelve slices of barbecue pork."

Laxus smiled, "I'll let the old man know then," he said, heading out the door. "I'll see you at the festival, Yajima-san. And thanks again," the dragon slayer waved, taking his leave.

* * *

><p>"<em>I can still catch up to them if I move around on my lightning body. But the problem is, those bastards don't really stay in the area for long. Based on the information Yajima-san told me, it should be either on the outskirts of the town where the Blue Pegasus headquarters is located, or somewhere near Mount Hakobe. I'm not really in the mood to prance around in the snow, so I'll leave that area for later. I'll go check the forest in the middle of Shirotsume and the Tenma guild town, then."<em>

And so Laxus went, maneuvering on his lightning form towards his destination. _"I don't want to ride any more vehicles either, so it's better this way, even if it takes up my magical power."_

It took him a couple of hours to arrive from Hargeon to Shirotsume, and he was traveling on his lightning form the whole time. He decided to rest at the town, as it was already past midnight when he arrived, and he needed to rest a little.

Morning came with the rain pouring, and he went on with his search, still utilizing his lightning form. He covered the whole forest in only an hour, and found a run-down building. From what he surveyed, it was the base of the dark guild, Harpuia. When he decided to approach it, numerous screams of agony broke out from inside, blending in with the sound of the rain.

He smirked, _"Just how lucky can I get?"_

Utilizing his lightning, he peered from one of the windows on the second floor, only to see that his suspicions were precise. "Looks like I hit the jackpot." He decided to wait until the lively exchange was over, before making a move.

Jellal stood in the middle of all the chaos, with a smile on his face. "It would seem that our job here is done. Shall we go?"

Meredy frowned at this, "What's the rush, Jellal? I'm tireeeed," she whined before pointing outside, "Can't you see the how heavy the rain is pouring?" the pinkette stated, pouting.

The blue-haired mage just smiled timidly at her, while Ultear decided to interrupt.

"You know we can't stay here, Meredy."

"Fine, only because you said so," was the only reply Meredy gave.

Jellal just smiled, "What kind of criminal would dare stay at the scene of the crime, anyway?" he asked rhetorically.

"A really good criminal," replied Meredy, sticking her tongue out at Jellal while Ultear chuckled.

"You know what I mean, Meredy. Let's go," he ordered, putting his hood back on and heading towards the door.

Halfway through, he stopped, motioning for the other two to do the same.

Laxus smirked, "Looks like you're having fun, Mystogan," he said after showing himself, his arms crossed whilst standing at the doorway. "Rather, Jellal," he corrected, before nodding at Ultear and Meredy.

"I see you're well, Laxus," replied the blue-haired mage.

"Oh hi, you're his teammate from the Grand Magic games," remarked Meredy.

Ultear just stood and nodded at Laxus.

"Fun day at your job, I see," stated Laxus, smirking. "I'll cut to the chase – I need to talk to Jellal in private."

Jellal looked at the blond with a serious expression, "Very well," he replied.

The group decided to move to Crime Sorcière's make-shift hideout as a precaution. They decided to chat about how most of the guild members were doing.

"I see Juvia's relationship with Gray hasn't progressed yet. She needs to step up her game!" said Meredy.

"Actually, I think it is Gray who needs to step up, or else Juvia will get stolen by Lyon," refuted Ultear.

"So how's Erza?" asked the raven-haired lady. Jellal cringed slightly at her question, and it made Laxus smirk. Meredy, on the other hand, was snickering, elbowing Jellal in the process.

"I can't say, really. I haven't been around at the guild much, but from what I've seen, she's been the usual… sort of."

Their conversation went on, with mostly Meredy picking on Jellal's vulnerability by asking questions about Erza. When the rain subsided, the two gentlemen moved outside, to talk.

"So, what is it that you want to talk about?" asked Jellal. He didn't want to beat around the bush.

Laxus' face was serious, "I want you to get your ass in Magnolia in time for the Rainbow Sakura festival."

The blue-haired man was surprised at the peculiar request; he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the blond's statement. "Why is that?" he asked.

"She's longing for you, 'ya know?"

Jellal was slightly taken aback by Laxus' statement. He lowered his head and said, "I… can't. I can't let myself near Erza any more…" He looked straight at the lightning mage, "This is my punishment, for all the things that I've put people through."

Laxus chuckled, "Oi, do you know how much of a wuss you sound right now?" he glared at Jellal, who only looked away. "Listen up, I don't know the whole story of what transpired between the two of you but this 'punishment' deal is just a load of crap, in my opinion. No matter how much you punish yourself, it won't change whatever it is that you've done."

"But I…"

"Shut it, and let me finish," interrupted Laxus. He was pissed, because Jellal wasn't making his job any easier. "Your little punishment game is a sign that you're just a selfish bastard. It's time you move on, and stop being selfish, you pathetic brat. Indulging in your suffering isn't making it any easier for her either."

"I'll ask you just this once to go to the festival, and I'll drag her out to talk to you. She deserves it, even if perhaps you don't," the lightning dragon slayer said sternly, arms crossed. He waited for a response, but none came so he decided to continue.

"I won't drag you back to Magnolia by force, but…" he smirked, "If you don't get your sissy ass there, I will hunt you down, and shove a bolt of lightning down your throat, and I can assure you that it is going to hurt."

Jellal shuddered at this, as the look that Laxus gave him was the same one that Ultear had when she put the members of Fairy Tail in her Arc of Time spell to increase their magic power. Laxus was serious about the threat, and even though he was a former wizard saint, he couldn't dismiss the fact that Laxus had an unknown potential magic power, and he'd probably be able to carry out his threat flawlessly.

"It's that, or I will make Erza suffer from the company of Ichiya for at least, a whole month," the blond dragon slayer added, laughing maniacally. "But yeah, just so you know, I'm not forcing you, but there will be consequences if you don't come."

Jellal sweat-dropped, but he knew how much Erza despised the Blue Pegasus mage.

"Anyway, I'll take my leave now. Feel free to bring the other two with you, if you do come over. Let me know if you do drop by. See 'ya," said the dragon slayer, waving at Jellal before dissipating into lightning.

* * *

><p>Evening came, and Jellal was having dinner with his two guild-mates.<p>

"So… Jellal," started Meredy.

"Hm?" he asked, taking a sip from his drink.

"Are you excited to meet Erza again?" asked Meredy, grinning suggestively at Jellal, who turned bright-red at her question, and was coughing out his drink.

Ultear couldn't help but chuckle at his reaction, while Meredy went on a full on laughing spree.

"Will you stop eavesdropping, Meredy!" exclaimed Jellal, still flushed. He knew he had no choice, he needed to go to Magnolia for the festival.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ahh, I hope I didn't make them OOC. I don't know when the next update would be because I have a lot of assignments. I hope you stick around. I'll try to respond to your reviews this week because I'm really busy. The next chapter will focus more on the main couple, and of course, it would have small moments between the other pairings.**

**Oh, and as you can see, I had Laxus address Yajima with an honorific. I couldn't just drop it, because it sort of loses the context.**


End file.
